V. Memmler 1942 Killdeer, Oxyechus vociferus vociferus May 2, Inspiration Point, Tilden Regional Park, Contra Costa Co., Calif. Two Birds were seen in flight coming toward the point from the north-east. In flight their long pointed wings and two-striped breast let me know they were Killdeer. They alighted, one after the other, in the center of the circular plot about which the road on the point runs. Here they began a steady single noted conversation. The note was very sharp and high. The note was repeated in rapid succession by each of the birds. At first they seemed to alternate speaking. A raising and lowering of the head accompanied the sounding of the note. Both birds appeared to be foraging at first for a short time. Then one of them squatted down on the ground and began to rock, head to tail, still accompanied by the sounding of the note. The head was ducked into the neck and the tail was raised, all in one coordinated motion. This bird, apparently a female, seemed to be laying an egg. The rocking kept up for about 15 min. and then she seemed to become quieter. The male, in the meantime, had been foraging, or at least picking up material from the ground with a jerking movement of the head. He twice came toward the female and put his head under her breast as if curious to see the fruits of her labor. He never went more than 10 yards from the female during the time she was squatting. The female did not remain oriented to the substrate in the same direction during the 15 min. she was laying, but several times moved about seemingly to find a more comfortable arrangement. Toward the end of the 15 min. she several times stood up from the ground and poked about with her bill where she had been sitting. Once she had stopped making the noise and seemed quiet I walked toward her slowly. She ran away a safe distance, 12 yards or so, from the nest in one direction and the male did the same in the opposite direction. I had some difficulty locating the nesting spot even when I kept my eyes focused ahead from where I had been observing. The ground was covered with small red-brown soft textured irregularly shaped rocks. Only occasional short grass about 3 or 4 inches tall grew here. When I finally saw the eggs they were in the center of a small depression among the small rocks. There were three eggs about 1 1/2 inches long. They blended beautifully into the color of the rocky ground. I did not touch the eggs but retreated to our car which was only about 15 yards from the eggs and from where I had been observing. The female came back at once to the nest. The male soon followed her. He had been crouching down looking much like a rock as we inspected the nest.